Former Agricultural Minister and pre-presidential candidate Andres Felipe Arias Friday said that the damning U.S. State Department 2009 Human Rights Report, which condemns his involvement in the agricultural subsidies corruption scandal, is as clear as “stew”.
Arias said that the U.S. had been busy cutting out Colombian magazine articles and had mixed them all together to form a murky “sancocho” – a hearty traditional Colombian stew.
The former minister, known as “Uribito” or little Uribe, is insinuating that the North American has not done its own research into allegations against him.
Arias said that the “magazine cut-outs” are from last year and don’t take many details into consideration.
He and current Agricultural Minister Andres Fernandez allegedly granted government agricultural funds to certain companies and affluent Colombian families, when the scheme was intended to help poor farmers.
The National Electoral Council is investigating claims Arias may have indirectly used some of the subsidies to fund his election campaign.
